Microsoft founder Bill Gates supported Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris with a secret donation of $50 million (46.3 million euros), the newspaper reported. “The New York Times” (NOW).
Gates, one of the world’s richest men, privately told three different sources that he recently made the donation to a nonprofit organization supporting the vice president’s candidacy, the newspaper reported Tuesday.
However, the former Microsoft CEO did not make his financial support for Harris public.
“I support candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to improving health care, reducing poverty and fighting climate change in the U.S. and around the world (…) I have a long history of working with leaders from around the world. across the political spectrum, but this election is different, with unprecedented importance for Americans and the most vulnerable people around the world,” Gates said in a statement to the NYT.
Gates’ philanthropic organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is concerned about potential cuts to family planning and global health programs if former Republican President Donald Trump is elected, said two people who spoke to the daily newspaper.
Also according to the NYT, Gates expressed concern in phone calls to friends about a second Trump presidency, although he emphasized that he could work with either candidate.
Gates’ donation was specifically to the nonprofit arm of Future Forward, which does not disclose the identities of donors, the newspaper said.
This is why none of Gates’ contributions appear in public documents.
In the NYT we also read that the reason some donors are choosing to contribute secretly is because they fear repercussions from Trump if he wins the November 5th election.
The person who did not keep the donations secret was businessman Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, who invested more than 75 million dollars (69.4 million euros) to help Trump return to the White House.
